Pokemon Trainers appear in the Real World!
by Aprotny
Summary: When pokemon trainers start appearing in Emily Lula's living room, she must find a way to send them back home, a feat that will change her life. One more thing: It's vice versa at Professor Oak's corral. People from the real world are showing up there.
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON. I MIGHT HAVE MADE UP THIS STORY BUT I DO NOT OWN POKEMON.**

Emily spun around as a flash lit up her living room. An unconscious boy lay in the middle of the room. By his arm was…

"A Pikachu?" Emily yelped, surprised. "But how?"

The boy moaned as he slowly sat up. "My head… I feel as if I just got off a wild roller coaster that crashed…" He took in his surroundings. "Who are you?" He asked Emily.

"I'm… I'm Emily Lula… Is that a Pikachu?" Emily replied.

"Yep." The boy answered. "I haven't introduced myself. My name is Ash Ketchum and this is my Pikachu."

"To believe there's a Pikachu… here… in my house…" Emily whispered.

"Is there something wrong?" Ash asked.

"No! This is impossible! Pokemon don't exist! They're just make-believe creatures made up by some guy in Japan!" Emily screamed, falling to her knees.

Ash looked shocked. Pikachu looked like it would like to do some shocking.

Emily forced herself to calm down. "My parents aren't home. You say you have a headache? If you want, I'll get you an icepack. I'm sorry for my breakdown. I'm not used to… pokemon…"

"An icepack would be nice. Do you have something to eat?" Ash responded.

"Sure. We'll deal with my parents when they get home." Emily told him. "Myers!"

"Yes, Miss Emily?" A servant bustled into the room… and fainted.

Emily hit her head. "Never mind. Ash, follow me."

Ash followed her down to the kitchen, where Emily requested an icepack and two apples.

The two went outside to sit and eat their apples in the garden. They talked about what had happened.

"So some criminals decided to test their machine on you and your friends?" Emily asked when Ash was finished with his story.

"Yes. Apparently, I was supposed to be sent straight to a group of their allies in this world, but, instead, I ended up here…" Ash paused. "You're not a criminal, are you?"

Emily laughed and then frowned. "No, but I'm worried about your friends. What if _they're_ sent straight to the criminals?"

"I certainly hope not." Ash said.

Meanwhile…

"What did you do with our friend?" Misty screeched. She, Brock, Dawn, May, Iris, and Cilan were all trapped at the headquarters of Team Dimension.

"No worries. He's safe with our allies in the other world. Now, young redhead, would you like to go next?" A scientist working for Team Dimension snickered.

"Don't you dare!" Misty yelled, hugging her Azurill close.

"I take that as a yes." The scientist laughed, snapping his fingers once. A couple grunts yanked Misty from the cage and shut the door behind her, blocking the other five who wanted to help her.

"Let go of me!" Misty struggled as the scientist started up the portal again.

"Push her through." He ordered. Misty screamed as she was pushed into the vortex.

Back at the Lula mansion…

"Mom, Dad, this is Ash. He's… um…" Emily began.

"Emily, Myers claimed to have seen a pokemon." Mrs. Lula interrupted. "Do you have any clue what he means by that?"

"Pika!" Pikachu hopped up onto Ash's shoulder. Mrs. Lula passed out in her husband's arms.

All of a sudden, a flash of light came from the living room behind Ash and Emily. Both kids spun around while Mr. Lula just stared.

"My head…" Misty groaned.

"Azurill!" Azurill sprayed her in the head with water gun, hoping to help.

"An Azurill!" Emily exclaimed. "How cute!" She and Ash ran over to Misty. "Are you two okay?"

"Misty? How are you doing after that crazy ride?" Ash put in.

"So your name is Misty? I'm Emily. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Misty replied, feeling better after Azurill's water gun.

"We're going to have to pay the servants extra to not blab about this…" Mr. Lula murmured. "Pokemon trainers showing up in our living room… The press would be all over us in no time…"

"Dad, can they stay until we figure out a way to send them back home?" Emily asked her father.

"I don't think we have much of a choice. Besides, we have plenty of guest bedrooms." Mr. Lula answered thoughtfully.

"Thanks, Dad!" Emily cried.

Over the next couple of weeks, dozens of pokemon trainers appeared, including Ash and Misty's friends. Emily was awestruck by every single pokemon that showed up. Every night there was a feast in order to serve everybody and every afternoon there was a pokemon battle for Emily and the other trainers to watch or participate in.

Emily stopped inviting her friends over when the trainers started arriving, but something strange was going on. Emily's classmates started disappearing. One day, Emily voiced her concerns to Ash.

"Do you think it's the allies of the criminals that are causing the disappearances?" She asked him.

"Maybe. It would make sense if the experiment were mutual. In their minds, the experiment hasn't been working. That's why they keep sending people to this world. If their allies are trying to do vice versa, people are probably being sent to our world from yours." Ash told her.

"You're right. We have to do something about this."

"Maybe if we can contact Professor Oak…"

"Ash! You're a genius! Contact! That's exactly what we need!"

At Professor Oak's laboratory…

"Professor Oak, another kid appeared." Tracey informed his boss.

Professor Oak sighed. "We're going to run out of money and food soon. We have to figure out a way to send them back."

"Professor Oak?" A group of kids walked up to the professor and his assistant. "We've decided we want to go on a pokemon journey until we can go back home."

"Professor Oak, that would solve a few problems. I think we should do it." Tracey voiced his opinion on the matter.

"Please!" The kids begged.

"Well, okay, but you can only set out three at a time." Professor Oak hesitated. Why was he agreeing to this? It would only solve a few problems, not all.

"Yay!" The kids shouted happily.

The phone rang. It was Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother.

"Professor Oak, have you heard from Ash? With all the disappearances lately, I'm worried about him." She said.

"I'm sorry, Delia. I haven't, but I'll let you know right away when I have." Professor Oak responded.

"Thank you, Professor Oak. Thank you."

Professor Oak hung up. He knew Ash was one of the disappeared, but he didn't dare tell Delia that. No, it would be best to imply that Ash just hadn't contacted them. It happened.

At Lula mansion…

"I hope this works." Emily said, wiping her forehead she had a knack at building machines in her spare time, but this one was more important than her other inventions.

"I hope so too." Ash said. "I believe in you."

Emily smiled. "Here goes nothing." She pulled a switch and typed the number Ash had given her into a keypad she had found upstairs.

A beeping sound ensued and a dial started spinning.

"Hello?" The answering voice was very familiar to Ash's ears.

"I'm… I'm Emily Lula… Is… Is this Professor Oak?" Emily stammered.

"Why yes, yes it is." Professor Oak responded. Ash broke into a grin.

"I… I was wondering if people have been showing up strangely lately…" Emily's voice was still shaky, but this time in an excited way instead of a nervous one."

"How in Arceus did you know about that?" Professor Oak was shocked.

"How _in Arceus_? That's a funny saying." Emily giggled. "People have been disappearing around here lately. I was wondering if they were showing up there."

"What do you mean by that? Where are you?" Professor Oak asked.

"Birmingham, Alabama in the United States of America on the North American continent." Emily was specific, holding in her laughter at the fact that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Okay… How did you know about the disappearances?" Professor Oak asked. "And why don't you show your face?"

"You take that for granted. Not all people have a video phone, you know." Emily said.

Professor Oak was silent for a moment. "I guess you're right. Not all people can afford a video phone…"

Emily sighed. "Let's get down to business, okay? The fact is, I've got pokemon trainers appearing in my world and you've got people who have never seen a pokemon before appearing in yours. We need to find a way to switch them back."

Professor Oak was silent for longer this time. "The missing trainers… they're with you? Why don't you send them back?"

"I don't know… Why don't you send the kids who've never seen a real pokemon before back?" Emily retorted.

Even longer silence. "You have a point. I guess we'll have to work together here. We need to find a way."

"Emily." Ash finally spoke up. "Even if you send us all home, those criminals will still be out there. They'll send us right back here again."

"Ash? You're there?" Professor Oak asked.

"Yes. Emily's family is taking care of us all until we can find our way home. Emily created a device that could help us communicate between the two worlds." Ash explained.

"Well, I have the kids from the other world here at my lab. There's too many of them to take care of and some of them want to go on a pokemon journey. What do I do?"

"I don't know. Emily?" Ash said.

"Go ahead and send them, but tell them to keep in constant contact so that they can go home when it's time." Emily told him.

"Okay." Professor Oak said. "I don't know this number, so call me again when you can."

"Okay." Emily and Ash replied in unison. They hung up.

"You're a genius, Emily. How'd you manage to do that in one try?" Ash said.

BOOM! BANG! BOOM! Emily's contraption exploded. The smoke alarm went off.

The two kids coughed. Ash called out his Oshowatt to put out the fire.

Other trainers staying in the house rushed down to help. It took 20 minutes to put out the flames.

"So much for that." Ash choked.

"Ash, Emily, are you okay?" Misty asked.

"We're… fine…" Ash replied. He stared at the blown up machine. "At least they know we're okay."

"It's okay. I'll just build another one. This time, I'll make sure it won't blow up. Nobody gets it perfect on the first try. Especially when it comes to something like contacting others from far away." Emily whispered.

The other trainers were confused.

"What do you mean?" May asked at last.

"That machine… it was something Emily made to contact the pokemon world. We talked to Professor Oak, but it blew up right after we hung up." Ash explained.

"It'll be better this time." Emily exclaimed confidently.

The trainers were all silent for a long time.

"Ash, can you help get some more supplies?" Emily said at last.

Ash nodded and the two went upstairs. Everyone else continued to stare at the blown up contraption.

"To believe Emily is capable of making a machine that can contact people in our world…" Cilan murmured at last.

"I can't believe it actually worked…" Iris put in.

"We're back!" Emily announced. "I hope you don't mind, but I need space to work!"

The trainers cleared out of Emily's little lab.

Emily worked fast. A turn here, a squeeze there, a stretch there, attach something here, attach something there, and… done!

Emily walked upstairs. "I'm done!" She called. "Now we should get to work on a contraption to get you home. Spread the word. I want to meet with everyone in ten minutes."

Ten minutes later…

"Okay." Emily began. "So I've finished with a contraption for contacting your world, which is the first step to fixing this problem. Now, I need everyone's help to build a portal to get everyone home _and_ to catch the criminals that are responsible for this. We'll split up into two groups. The older trainers with experience will work on a plan to stop the criminals. The younger trainers and I will work on a machine to get you all home. Got it?"

Everyone agreed to Emily's plan and the groups were quickly determined. Those with mechanical experience were the most helpful with the machine, and those with experience fighting criminals were the most help with the plans to stop their enemy.

"Emily." Ash walked up to Emily. "We've decided on a plan, but it involves practically sacrificing someone to the criminals."

"Um… Explain, please." Emily hesitated.

"If we can get someone on the inside, not only will that person be sent home, but they will also be able to gain valuable information if they poke and pry a bit." Ash clarified.

Emily hesitated again, and then nodded. "That person will need to be out walking alone _without_ a pokemon. I can help with looking vulnerable and native to this world, but that person needs to be willing to be tracked by us _and_ able to hack a system."

"I'm sure there's someone like that here." Ash told her.

The person fitting Emily's description ended up being Ash's friend Richie.

"I can hack a system, and I'm willing to entrust my pokemon to Ash if it's necessary. I'm also willing to let you track me." He assured them.

"Are you sure, Richie? This could be a very dangerous mission." Ash said.

"I'm sure." Richie answered.

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

"Ash to Richie, over." Richie heard Ash's voice over the walkie-talkie.

"Coming in loud and clear. No sign of the criminals yet, but I'm on the lookout." He reported.

"Use code words! We don't want them to know you're on a mission!" Ash hissed.

"Right… This is like looking for a needle in a haystack…" Richie groaned.

"If things work out as planned, they should come to you when you're not looking."Ash reminded him. "Keep an eye on your surroundings."

Richie spun around. A strange man quickly slipped back into the shadows. Richie backed up.

"I may have spotted the Spearow…" He whispered. Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind. He tried to swerve around, but he was being held too tightly. He began to feel drowsy. The walkie-talkie fell from his hand as he slipped into unconsciousness.

"I think they fell for it."Ash told Emily, who was working on the machine to get them home.

She stopped to wipe her brow. "Good. It's only a matter of time now. He'll be at Professor Oak's by tomorrow. We'll call then."

"I hope the new communication device doesn't blow up." Ash exclaimed. "It would be really bad if it did."

Emily blushed. "Everyone makes mistakes. One wrong twist and boom. Bye-bye machine."

"Mm-hm. I guess you're right. I trust you with all of this, Emily." Ash said.

Emily's face turned crimson. She got butterflies in her stomach.

_Don't start crushing on him_. She told herself firmly. _He's only here temporarily._

Ash examined Emily's contraption that was meant to send them home.

"How soon will you be done with it?" He asked.

"It might take a few weeks. Two months at the maximum." Emily responded.

"Wait! Two _months_?"

"Yes. Unless you want to be sent to some alternate dimension that nobody's heard of with absolutely _no_ way to get home."

"Um… no thanks…"

"Thought so. You're all going to have to be patient. Remember, there are others with your predicament. You're not alone."

"I guess you're right. Need any help?"

"I might later, but I'm fine for now. Thank you for offering."

"No problem." Ash walked upstairs to participate in a pokemon tournament occurring in a few minutes.

Emily sighed. She had a heavy burden on her shoulders.

"Emily! Come quick!" May hurried down the stairs as fast as she could.

"What is it?" Emily asked upon seeing the look on May's face.

"News reporters…" May breathed.

Emily ran up the stairs and outside at full speed, followed closely by May. Sure enough a news helicopter had landed by the makeshift battlefield. The trainers, who were trying to hide their pokemon, were being questioned by some excited reporters.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Emily's voice was heavy with despise, a side of her the trainers hadn't seen before. "You are trespassing on private property."

"Miss, do you know what pokemon being real means to the world?" A reporter asked her, obviously annoyed.

"Yes! Now get off my family's property or we'll sue!" Emily screamed. "Don't make me get my parents! They won't be so nice about this!"

"Miss, this is a scoop unlike any other. The public must hear about…" The reporter began.

"Nothing! The public must hear about nothing!" Emily screeched. "NOW GET OFF MY PROPERTY! NOW!"

Terrified of the angry teenager, the news reporters hurried to their helicopter and took off. Emily spun around to face the nervous trainers.

"Everyone inside! Now!" She yelled. Afraid to contradict her when she was in this bad a mood, the trainers hurriedly obeyed.

Once everyone was inside, Emily calmed down.

"We're going to have to rush ahead with our schedule. Those reporters will be back sooner or later. They'll want to give people proof of their discovery." Emily informed the trainers. They all gave sighs of relief that she was back to normal.

"Whoa. We didn't know you could be so… how do I put it?" Cilan said.

"I don't like acting that way, but it was necessary." Emily told him.

"They said they were reporting live…" Ash whispered. "I heard them say it…"

Emily rushed over and switched on the television.

"Here it is again, folks." A reporter announced. Emily's heart sank. They had footage of a real live pokemon battle between Paul and Trip. "Real footage shot at a mansion in Birmingham, Alabama before being shooed away by a girl who lived there."

Emily fell to her knees in tears. She'd tried so hard to keep it a secret!

"EMILY!" Mr. Lula's angry voice sounded as he marched down the stairs. "I want them gone! _Today!"_ The trainers gasped.

"Dad! No!" Emily cried. "Just a little longer! Until I can get them home!"

"You and I both know that can take months! I want them _gone_!" Mr. Lula raged.

"But… where will they go?" Emily whimpered.

"I don't care! As long as they're not here!" Mr. Lula retorted.

The doorbell rang. Emily and her father looked up.

"Let them deal with the reporters! I want them out!" Mr. Lula hissed.

Emily shook her head. She was saved by her mother.

"Henry! How can you be so cruel? These children need our protection right now! They have no place else to go!" Mrs. Lula exclaimed. Emily nodded.

The doorbell rang again. Mr. Lula sighed.

He ran to the front door and yelled. "I've got a bazooka license and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Emily brightened up. "Dad, does that mean they can stay?" She asked when her father came back, the reporters having been scared away quickly.

The door opened and closed. A group of people in uniforms confronted them.

"This is the police! Put your hands where we can see them!" One of them said.

Everyone put their hands up. Sparks came out of Pikachu's cheeks. Ash quickly grabbed him.

"We have some talking to do." The police officer, probably the chief, informed them. "Sit down."

The trainers and the Lulas obeyed.

"You're under arrest for hiding kids from their parents." The officer continued. The trainers shifted nervously.

Ash spoke up. "They're trying to help us get home."

"Pika!" Pikachu put in.

"He's right. That's all we're really doing right now." Emily said.

"We traced the match for this walkie-talkie to this house. Does it look familiar?" The officer held up a walkie-talkie. _Richie's_ walkie-talkie. "We believe it belongs to one of the criminals that are responsible for the recent disappearances."

"You're wrong there." Ash told her. "That belongs to our friend Richie. He's going to hack the criminals' database for information we can use both to stop those criminals and send us home. We're due to call him via a communication device Emily made tomorrow, when he's sure to be safe."

The officer raised an eyebrow. "It's a citizen's duty to tell police any information you have about a case. You've broken that duty. You obviously know more about this case then we do."

"Please, Officer, let us continue about as we have been. We're the only ones who can help them." Emily begged.

"So you do know where they are. Tell us now. Where are they?" The officer ordered.

Emily's heart sank. Ash answered for her.

"Would you believe us if we said they were in the world of pokemon?"

Richie woke up in a cell at the criminals' base. He felt weak.

"This one's from the other world." A voice spoke outside his cell. "I can tell just by the look of him."

Richie was stunned. This wasn't the plan. The plan was for him to be sent back to the world of pokemon after he got the information and give them the data the next time they called Professor Oak.

"So their transporter has been working after all. There's no telling where the other trainers might be." Another voice responded. "We have the same design for our transporter. We need to let them know to keep an eye out for the kids from our world, because they _are_ there."

Richie racked his brains. They would keep a close eye on him now, but there had to be some way to hack their system and get the information to Emily and Ash and everyone else. A plan started to form in his mind. It was a long shot, but it was his only chance.

"Professor Oak! They found us!" A girl named Sarah yelled.

"Who? Who found us?" Professor Oak was alarmed.

"The criminals' allies." Sarah breathed.

"Professor Oak! They're kidnapping everyone!" Tracey yelped, rushing into the lab after Sarah.

There was a big BOOM and fire erupted everywhere. Tracey, Sarah, and Professor Oak were all knocked out by the toxic flames.

As Tracey's eyes closed, the last thing he saw was a shadowy figure reaching for him.

"'The world of pokemon'? Get real!" The police officer laughed.

"Except for me, you, your squad, and my parents, that's where everyone in this room comes from." Emily exclaimed. The trainers nodded. "Look, we can get them back, but we need the newspaper and television reporters to leave us alone. Can you help us with that?"

"It's a crime to waste a police officer's time." The officer growled.

"It isn't a waste of time. Don't you want to help get those kids back? We can help. I doubt you have any other ideas for what really happened." Emily said.

"The kids were kidnapped. We just don't know who by." Another police officer cut in.

"Neither do we, but we can solve this case faster if we work together." Emily begged.

The phone rang. Emily rushed to it up.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Emily! I don't have much time. They figured out I don't belong here, so I won't be sent you-know-where. I can still get you the information, but it will be difficult. Uh oh… I've got to go! Bye!"

"Wait! Richie!" The phone buzzed, signaling the call had ended. Emily sighed and hung up her end of the phone.

"That was Richie?" Ash felt obliged to ask.

"Yes. Things aren't going according to plan on his end. They've figured out he's not from around here, so it's going to be harder for him to acquire the data." She informed him.

"I hope he'll be all right." Misty whispered, although it echoed through the suddenly silent room.

"You've already got a plan in motion?" The chief officer questioned.

"Yes. We've got coordinates, but we haven't had time to decipher them yet." Brock told her.

"I see… Give us the coordinates. We'll deal with them." The officer ordered. May reluctantly gave them to her.

"We'll have our squads protect you from the press since you've been so helpful. Keep us updated." The officer said.

The trainers and Emily all looked at each other and nodded.

"Yes ma'am." Emily spoke for the group. "I guess it _is_ about time the police got involved."


	3. Chapter 3

Richie broke out of his cell again later that night. In case things went haywire, he had hidden a single pokeball in his hat. In it was Zippo, his Charmeleon. Now was the time to use it.

"Get back in your cell, kid!" A voice behind him yelled.

_Not yet_… Richie thought to himself. He continued running.

The alarm blared. Richie found the control room.

"You're not welcome in here, kid." The criminal inside told him.

_Now_… "Go! Zippo!" Richie called. He reached for the pokeball that was under his hat just to discover…

Zippo's pokeball was gone.

It was nearly midnight. Emily stopped to take a break. She was pulling an all-nighter to work on the transportation device that would send her friends home. The incident with the police earlier had convinced her to go as fast as she could.

"Pika…" A yellow fur ball rubbed against her leg.

Emily smiled. "Hi Pikachu. Does Ash know you're down here?"

"Emily? Have you seen… never mind…" Ash had just come down the steps. Pikachu ran over to him. "Isn't it a bit late to be working on that?"

"Probably, but I'm convinced to work even harder now that the police are watching us." Emily replied, going back to work on the machine.

"About that… Doesn't it make you nervous that we're being watched twenty-four seven?" Ash asked.

"We don't have a choice, and at least _they_ won't get their hands on us." Emily responded.

A shiver went down Ash's spine. "Good point. Listen, I think we should find a way to rescue Richie."

"I think the police are planning to take care of that. Besides, if we go, it would give away the fact that all the trainers are in one place." Emily pointed out.

"Emily, can we call Professor Oak?" Emily paused at Ash's question. She glanced over at the communication device. Was the time the same in both worlds? Would Professor Oak even be the one to answer?

Emily reluctantly picked up the phone and dialed. One ring, two rings, three rings, four… No one picked up. Emily's eyes widened. She tried again. The same result.

"We'll… we'll try again in the morning…" She whispered to Ash, who felt scared upon seeing the expression on Emily's face.

"Come on, Emily. You need some sleep." Ash attempted.

Emily shook her head, but was eventually persuaded to go.

Sleep overcame her the moment she hit the pillows.

Richie trembled in one corner of his cell. The other corners and walls were occupied by guards ready to hurt him if he made a single wrong move. There were seven guards inside the cell and several more outside. If he'd had his pokemon, Richie wouldn't have been so scared, but he didn't have his pokemon, so he was terrified.

"Zippo… where are you?" He whispered under his breath. It echoed through the silent cell.

The guards grinned, satisfied with Richie's fear. The cell door opened.

"The boss says we're ready." Someone hissed. "Bring the boy."

Richie gulped as he was yanked up and pushed out of the cell.

"Zippo! Help me!" He cried. "Zippo!"

"Shut up, kid!" One of the guards screamed in his ear. "You're pokemon can't help you!"

Richie was pushed and pulled repeatedly as he stumbled through the narrow hallways. At last, the group arrived at a door slightly larger than the others. Richie was shoved into the room and the door was slammed shut behind him.

Trembling, Richie took stock of his surroundings. He was in some kind of throne room. The scarlet walls around him were covered with delicate violet drapes, while the marble tiles beneath his feet were white, covered by a soft lilac carpet. Directly in front of him was a large chair carved out of gold and adorned with many rubies and diamonds. A tall, royal-looking man sat on the throne, staring at Richie,

"So, you're a pokemon trainer." The man's voice boomed. "I thought you would look a bit… stronger… not just like the average kid."

"Let me go!" Richie cried, trying to hold in his fear.

"Hush, little boy. The time to bargain for your freedom will come later. For now, you are my prisoner, and you will do as I say." The man snickered.

"Never!" Richie mustered up the nerve to say. "I'll never serve you, you… you… you _kidnapper_!"

"Hush now, little boy. All I wish for at the moment is information. Now tell me, where are the _other_ trainers?"

Richie was speechless. He knew he couldn't tell this man the truth about where his friends were, but he couldn't _not_ tell him either.

"It is time to speak, little boy. Answer my question."

"I… they probably moved locations when I was captured." Richie knew they hadn't, but he had to say something.

"Tell me the last place they were then, little boy."

A place he had heard Emily mention popped into Richie's head.

"Montgomery. They were in Montgomery." H e said.

"Good. Good. Guards, search Montgomery from top to bottom, East to West, North to South. Take any pokemon trainers you find." The man ordered. "Meanwhile, lock this boy up tight in my personal quarters. I want to be the one to keep an eye on him."

Tracey woke with a start. He was in a sort of jail cell, separate from the other kids. He heard voices.

"Treat him like the others, but put a tracker on him first. We need to find out where the trainers are ending up. All the kids from the other world were in the same place, so we must assume the same for the trainers from our world." One voice said.

"Yes sir! We'll send him right away!" Another voice responded.

The cell door opened. Tracey backed up until he hit the wall. He was grabbed and dragged out of the cell, down several hallways, and into another room. A weird arch stood in front of him. It was made of iron and electricity. A man who looked like a scientist pulled a lever and the arch started to glow. A multi-colored swirl formed in the middle of the arch and soon filled the whole room with light. Someone slapped something onto Tracey's back and he stumbled forward, allowing the portal to suck him in.

A light filled the living room, waking a couple of trainers sleeping there (the Lulas had run out of guest bedrooms).

Tracey lay unconscious in the middle of the room.

"Go get Emily." A trainer named Jenny whispered to Trip. Trip nodded, got up, and ran.

He was back in a flash with Emily.

Emily shook Tracey gently. "Hey, wake up." She cooed.

Tracey groaned, but didn't open his eyes. The fire and the journey through the portal had taken a toll on him.

Emily spotted the tracking device on Tracey's shoulder. She plucked it off.

After staring at it for a moment, she turned to Jenny, Trip, and the one other trainer that was in the room.

"Wake everyone. We must hide immediately. Tell them I'll explain later, and tell Ash to come down here." She demanded.

The three were off in an instant, spreading the alarm. Emily smashed the tracking device.

"I just hope we're quick enough…" She murmured.

"Emily, you… Tracey!" Ash yelped.

"You know him?" Emily asked.

"Yes. He's Professor Oak's assistant. So something _did_ happen at Professor Oak's, but… why hide?" Ash answered.

Emily pointed to the smashed device. "He's been traced. They'll be here soon. We have to make sure as many people escape harm as possible."

Ash nodded. "I'll take care of the evacuation. You take care of Tracey."

Emily agreed and wished her friend good luck as he hurried away.

Tracey's eyes flickered open. "Who are you?"

"My name is Emily, Emily Lula. I live here. Are you okay?" Emily asked him.

"Are… are you the girl who called us who knew where the missing trainers were?" Tracey questioned.

"Yes, that was me. Can you walk?" Emily responded. Tracey nodded.

Just as Emily was helping him up, the criminals broke down the door.

Emily and Tracey were two of the ones who didn't escape.

Richie looked up to see an unconscious Emily shoved into his cage in the criminals' boss's personal quarters.

He shook her. "Emily! Wake up!" He whispered.

Emily delicately opened her eyes. "Richie?" She murmured. "Where am I?"

"In a bad spot. If he decided to keep a personal eye in you…" A shiver went down Richie's spine. "It's just not good…"

"If who decided to keep a personal eye on me? Why's it so bad? Is something going to happen to me?" Emily questioned.

"I don't know." Richie replied. "I just don't know."

"Is everyone else all right? Are my parents all right? Are _we_ going to be all right?" Emily babbled on.

"Emily, _I don't know_. I've been here the whole time. How did they find you?" Richie exclaimed.

"Oh. They put some sort of tracking device on a trainer named Tracey, and then pushed him through the portal. Some of the trainers managed to hide in time, but I don't know how many." Emily responded.

"So, little boy. Getting acquainted with Emily? Or do you already know her?" The criminals' boss casually strolled into the room and smirked at them.

Emily started crying. "How… how could you?"

"How do you know Emily's name?" Richie demanded.

"Why don't you ask her that question?" The criminals' boss cackled.

"HOW COULD YOU?" Emily screamed, still sobbing. "I thought you were my family!"

"I still am, Emily, dear. I will always be your uncle, and you will always be my niece. However, nobody ever said sweet Uncle Jerry couldn't go bad." The criminals' boss, aka Jerry, snickered.

Richie glared at him. "Can't you see you've hurt her? Apologize!"

"No can do. The girl had to find out eventually. This way is better for me." Jerry laughed. "Tata, little boy. Good luck comforting my niece." He left the room.

Richie gritted his teeth. Emily was still crying her eyes out.

"Don't worry, Emily. We'll get out of here, and when we do, I'll get him back for this." He hissed in her ear.

**Please Review. I don't know what should happen next.**


	4. Chapter 4

Police officers burst into the cell Tracey and the other kids shared.

"Come on! We're breaking you free!" One of them shouted.

"What about Emily and Richie?" Ash asked. He had been captured as well, despite having fought hard to escape. "What about our pokemon?"

The other kids agreed with Ash. They had to find Emily, Richie, and the pokemon before they could leave.

"All right, but let's work fast." The police chief urged.

"Ash…" Tracey whispered as the others ran out of the cell. "I'm still too weak to run."

Ash gasped. "What? You can't be! Use me for support if you have to, but we need to hurry!"

"Okay…" Tracey murmured, putting a hand on Ash's arm. "Let's go."

Richie looked up at the sound of footsteps. Getting a feeling it was friends, he shouted. "In here!"

"It's Richie!" He heard Brock whisper.

Richie smiled. Emily opened one eye and then the other.

The police burst into the room, but not before Jerry could pull Emily out of the cage and put a knife to her neck.

"Take another step closer and the girl dies." He breathed.

Nobody moved a muscle. Only Richie was behind Jerry, and he didn't know what to do.

"Someone do something." He whispered.

"You be quiet." Jerry hissed.

Richie was silent, but he wasn't thoughtless. There had to be something he could do to free Emily.

"Looks like we've lost the rest of the group." Ash muttered.

"Sorry. I know I slowed you down." Tracey mumbled.

"It's okay, Tracey. Somebody had to stay behind with you. Why not me?" Ash said.

"Marill!" A cry came from behind them. "Marill!"

"That sounded like Marill!" Tracey gasped. "Marill! Keep yelling! We'll find you!"

"Marill! Marill!" Ash and Tracey followed the cry to a room with seven sleeping guards. "Marill! Marill!"

"Good thing they're all asleep. Now we just have to tiptoe past them." Ash murmured quietly.

The two boys got past the first four guards with no problems. Then, Tracey tripped over the fifth guard's leg and fell onto the sixth guard. Both guards were startled awake.

"Sound the alarm! Two of the prisoners escaped!" The sixth guard yelled, waking the remaining five.

Ash and Tracey were surrounded on all sides.

"What now?" Tracey gulped.

"Venonat!" "Tepig!" "Scyther!" "Oshawott!" Pokemon calls echoed through the hall.

"The pokemon! We have to get to the pokemon!" Ash hissed in his ear.

"I don't think I can make it past them." Tracey whispered back.

"Then you distract them, while I get to the pokemon and free them. Then, we'll free you." Ash's plan was barely audible over the blaring alarm.

"Hey! You! Fat and ugly!" Tracey yelled at the thinnest guard. "Eat one hamburger too many yesterday?" He turned to another guard. "A bit on the feminine side, aren't you?" Both guards dove at him, but he dodged. Ash used the momentary diversion to escape the circle of angry guards and run to the pokemon. He could hear Tracey continuing the wave of insults behind him.

What he saw in the next room was too horrible to describe. Mostly, it was pokemon locked in cages, but some of the pokemon were being whipped repeatedly by machine and forced to give all their energy to some of the criminals' causes. Some of them had even been worked to death.

Ash quickly found some keys he could use to unlock the cages. Pokemon jumped out at him, giving him their thanks. The pokemon being worked were harder to free, and they were weak too. Ash broke the machines and grabbed the pokemon out of them, handing some to other pokemon to be carried. He didn't even leave the dead ones.

"Worse than Team Rocket…" He whispered.

"Ash! Help!" He heard Tracey call, snapping him out of it.

He quickly led the pokemon to the group of guards, where he saw Tracey was being beaten. The smaller pokemon, the ones that couldn't hold the weak ones, helped him free Tracey, who was stunned at the sight of the dead pokemon.

"C'mon. Let's go." Ash's voice was thick with anger. "Let's go find the others."

"Poor things… They didn't deserve this…" Tracey murmured as they ran.

The criminals were able to quickly round up the prisoners outside Jerry's quarters, for the police and trainers could do nothing as long as Emily's life was at risk. It wasn't until Ash and Tracey arrived with the pokemon that they had a chance.

"Emily!" Ash gasped, holding Pikachu. (Tracey was holding the box of pokeballs, by the way.) "Let her go!"

"Marill! Water gun!" Tracey commanded. The water hit the knife at the perfect angle, knocking it out of Jerry's hand while not hurting Emily.

Emily tried to push free, but Jerry had a tight grip on her.

Suddenly, a blow hit Jerry from behind. Richie had made his move. He grabbed Emily before she hit the grounded and pulled her to safety.

A fight followed, ending with tied up criminals and free trainers.

Tears were shed that night as the dead pokemon were buried in Emily's backyard. The trainers whom the pokemon had belonged to cried the hardest.

Emily decided to make a speech. "Dearest friends, I know this is hard for all of us. Many of you lost a pokemon today for the wrongest of reasons. These horrible people have not only separated you from your pokemon, but from your homes as well. On the bright side, however, we are halfway there. We have taken down the people who took away the lives of these young and innocent pokemon, and that was one of our two goals. I promise you that the people who did this will have a long, hard life in jail for murder and kidnapping, and that you will be home with your families soon enough. For now, however, let us mourn the loss of our dearest friends."

Everyone was silent for a long time after Emily's speech. It just summarized everything in everyone's heads, and they _were_ halfway there.

"Wait." Ash finally broke the silence. "We have only taken down the criminals in this world. What about our world?"

Emily stared at him for a moment. "We'll deal with them after we get to your world."

A month and three weeks passed. Emily worked day and night on the portal while everyone else helped when they could. More trainers continuously arrived. Reporters did too. There were too many to fend off.

Finally, Emily came upstairs with an ear-to-ear grin on her face.

"It's done." She announced.

Everyone crowded into Emily's little lab. The portal was high and wide. Everyone examined it as Emily squeezed to the front.

"So, who volunteers to go first?" She asked.

"I do." Ash raised his hand. The other trainers turned to look at him.

"Are you sure, Ash?" Emily prodded.

"I am." He confirmed.

Emily pulled a few levers to start up the portal. The rainbow swirl that was familiar to the trainers appeared. Emily handed Ash a walkie-talkie.

"I added a little device that should make them work cross-dimension." She told him.

Ash nodded. "Okay then. Here I go." He took a step into the portal and disappeared.

An hour passed. Finally, the walkie-talkie buzzed.

"Emily? Can you hear me? Your portal worked! I ended up in my own living room and had to explain things to my mom. That's what took so long." Ash reported. He heard cheers on the other side as Emily went to reply.

"Just tell me when to start sending." She responded, a big smile that Ash couldn't see on her face.

"My mom says now is fine." Ash answered, a little nervously.

Emily turned to the others. "Who's next?"

Emily sighed as the last trainer disappeared through her portal. She was going to miss them, but it was for the best.

"Emily." Her father said. Emily turned to see him standing behind her with an arm around her mother. "The other kids need your help to get back. We know you've worked hard to make this portal. Give yourself a little reward and spend a little time in the pokemon world yourself."

"We've been thinking about this for a long time, dear. See the sights and then come home, but be careful." Her mother put in.

Emily smiled and hugged her parents. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad. I'll be home before you know it. Switch off the portal in ten minutes or so. To start it up, pull this lever, then this one, then this one. To turn it off, pull them again in the opposite order."

With that said, she followed her newfound friends into a world she had only dreamed of.


	5. Chapter 5

When Emily opened her eyes in the world that was new to her, Ash was kneeling over her, concerned.

"Emily?" He murmured. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." She assured him. "Something wrong?" She sat up to see many of her new friends around her, some in family embraces.

"Yes. The police came through here. They took my mom. They think _she_ was the kidnapper. When I tried to convince them otherwise, they threatened to take me too." Ash muttered angrily, trying to keep his voice down.

"That's awful! We have to save her!" Emily exclaimed. "Everyone here knows she's innocent. The portal just happened to end at your house. That doesn't mean your mom is a criminal."

"Nobody's happy about the turnout. Ash's mom didn't do anything wrong. She was arrested for a crime she didn't commit." Tracey said, walking over. "We have to find the real criminal in order to prove her innocent. The problem is, the police won't help because they're convinced they've found the culprit, and most of the families aren't about to let their kids out of their sight after this incident."

"I guess it's just us then." Emily said. "It's up to us to prove the police wrong. We have to free my friends as well."

A police officer walked over and started talking to Tracey. Emily and Ash could tell he was getting irritated with the conversation. Finally, he just walked away. Emily and Ash followed him.

"They figured out Professor Oak and the kids that were staying at the preserve weren't here." He eventually spoke. "Why bother to chat with a bunch of idiots? It's our job now, not theirs. They made their mistake, and they can't take it back."

The three walked for a while. At last, they stopped to chat some more.

"Where do you think the hideout is?" Emily began. "You two both got captured, and you both know Kanto better than I do."

"I was on my way back to Pallet Town when it happened. We weren't far and it wasn't that long of a ride." Ash told her.

"I passed out before I was taken." Tracey put in. "I'm not much help in this category."

"Then let's let Ash take the lead." Emily decided. Tracey nodded his agreement.

Ash led them to an abandoned shack near the road not far from Pallet Town.

"This is where we got kidnapped." He announced.

"I thought we'd find you here!" Iris's voice came from up in a tree. She hopped down and Misty and Cilan came into view.

"Tracey, your parents are back at Ash's house. They're looking for you." Misty said. Tracey turned pale and raced back towards Pallet Town.

"We're the only ones who managed to escape the mob." Cilan explained.

"That's okay. We understand." Emily responded. "Besides, sometimes seeking safety in stealth is better. This situation is a good example of that."

"You're right, but don't you think it would be nice to have just a _few_ more people?" Iris asked.

"It doesn't matter. We've got who we've got. I doubt Tracey's gonna manage to get away from his parents once he gets there, so let's continue." Emily said.

"I suspect the hideout isn't that far from Pallet Town, since we ended up there after we left your mansion. I know of a big building where I used to play hide and seek with my preschool friends. Let's check there." Ash suggested.

"Just show us the way." Iris replied.

Ash led the group some bushes by a large warehouse. The warehouse was covered in ivy and graffiti and looked spooky.

"The townspeople tend to stay away from here because the place is said to be haunted." Ash whispered. "But my friends and I used it as a clubhouse. We knew there were ghost-type pokemon in there, but they were friendly."

A scream sounded from inside the warehouse. Everyone but Ash shrank back.

"That's new." He murmured. "Okay, so I know of some secret ways inside, but we'd better make a plan first."

"We'd best keep the pokemon out, just in case, and we need to carve an escape route for when we're done." Emily kept her voice as low as Ash's so they wouldn't be heard.

About an hour later, the preparation was done. Mostly, it was take it as it comes, but the way out and which pokemon they'd use were finalized.

Ash took the group to a dusty trap door, hidden by dirt and leaves.

"Axew? You ready?" Iris asked.

"Azurill, you stay in here. Corsola! Staryu! Come on out!" Misty called.

"Dwebble! Pansage! I choose you!" Cilan said.

"Snivy! Tepig! Swadloon! Come on out!" Ash called.

Emily watched as they all threw their pokeballs.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Yep." Ash spoke for all of them. "Let's go." He opened the trapdoor and a puff of smoke came out. They all coughed. Ash suddenly rose into the air via some unknown power. "Whoa. Oh, hello Haunter." Three Haunters circled Ash. They looked disturbed. "What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

The Haunters brought Ash into the passageway. Emily, Iris, Cilan, and Misty followed.

"Do you think Ash enjoys floating like that?" Emily whispered to Misty.

"In this case, no." Misty giggled quietly.

"Haunter…" The Haunters breathed.

A vent was above Ash's head. Ash was looking through it.

"What was that?" A voice asked.

"Probably just those ghost-types again. We'll just have to kick them back out or lock them with the prisoners. Have you gotten that good-for-nothing professor to talk yet?" Another voice growled.

"We're sorry, sir. He won't give a peep." The first voice responded.

"We'll just have to force him to. Use one of the prisoners. He'll talk." The second voice, obviously the boss, ordered.

The Haunters set Ash on the ground.

"Haunter… Haunter…" They begged.

"Don't worry. We'll rid you of those pests." Ash promised. The rest of the group nodded. "Let's keep going, guys. The entrance isn't far from here."

Solana stood above the open trapdoor, puzzled. As a pokemon ranger, she'd been assigned the job of investigating the appearance and disappearance of the kids who'd been at Professor Oak's corral and the disappearance of Professor Oak himself. This looked very suspicious.

Solana dropped into the secret passageway and hurried along. Moments later, she heard voices. She slowed her pace so that she could listen,

"The opening's real close now." A familiar voice announced. Ash? What was _he_ doing down here?

"I hope we find them before _we're_ found." An unfamiliar voice, probably belonging to one of Ash's friend Solana had never met, whispered. After a pause, the unfamiliar voice added. "We're being followed."

"Haunter…" A Haunter picked up Solana with its psychic abilities and brought her in front of the group. She recognized Ash and Misty but not the three others.

Hanging in the air, she said. "Hi. I was investigating the disappearances and thought an open trapdoor was suspicious, so I came in."

The unfamiliar voice, which belonged to a girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, cried. "Oh my gosh! A real live pokemon ranger!"

"Keep your voice down, Emily! We don't want them to know we're here!" The other girl Solana didn't know hushed her.

"Sorry. Shh." Emily murmured.

"Solana, this is Iris, Cilan, and Emily. You already know Misty. Guys, this is Solana." Ash introduced. "I guess we shouldn't have left that door wide open. We're also investigating the disappearances, but we probably know a lot more about it than you do."

"Fill me in while we walk." Solana said.

"Okay." Ash replied.

Professor Oak was stunned. How could they break an innocent girl's arm like that just because he wouldn't speak?

"All right. I'll tell you whatever it is you want to know. Just don't hurt her again." He yelled.

Sarah stood crying and clutching her arm tightly, while one of the crooks held a knife to her neck.

"Good good." The leader snickered, signaling for the grip on Sarah to be slightly loosened. "Let us begin."

"Wow. I had no idea there was that much to this mystery." Solana murmured.

"We're here." Ash muttered.

"This is the entrance?" Misty asked. "There's nothing but a hole here."

"It's hard to see." Ash responded. He peeked through the hole. "All clear." He opened the exit and they all stepped through. The Haunters stayed behind in the secret passage.

"Everyone knows the plan, right?" Cilan whispered.

"Yep. We can split into three groups now that Solana's with us. Let's go." Emily said.

They split up. Cilan with Iris, Misty with Solana, and Emily with Ash.

Cilan and Iris wandered for a bit before they hit a room full of armed guards and pokemon. Before they could utter a single command, they were knocked out by Sleep Powder.

"What do you suppose we do with them?" One guard asked another.

"Throw them in with all the other prisoners. They're not worth it." The other guard replied.

"And the pokemon?"

"They don't look very strong, but lock them up separately anyway."

"Okay."

"Emily! Come here!" Ash hissed. He was crouched next to a doorway of an occupied room. "Listen!"

"Be careful, Ash! We'll get caught that way!" Emily whispered, but she joined him.

"That's not useful information, you old hag! Now tell us something useful!" A voice screamed from inside.

"I'm trying. I'm trying." A more tired voice answered.

"That sounds like…" Emily quickly covered Ash's mouth, but it was too late. Ash had spoken too loudly.

"You and you, go grab those spies and bring them in here before they get away." A very commanding voice yelled.

Pikachu acted before Ash could say anything. It thunderbolted both men that were running over to grab them.

"Make another move and the little girl in here dies." The commanding voice screamed.

"Ash!" Emily cried. "Stop your pokemon!"

"I can't! They have minds of their own!" Ash shouted. He was right. The pokemon didn't seem to be listening to a word he said. Even when he and Emily raised their hands in surrender, the pokemon fought on. They weren't willing to give in while their trainer was in danger.

Eventually, all four fell. The man with the commanding voice grinned at Ash.

"You have some pretty powerful pokemon. We might have you train some of our pokemon in exchange for your friends' lives." He told him.

Ash gulped. That didn't sound too appetizing.

"Put the girl in the cellar with the others. Tie the boy up in my room. I'll be there soon." The man continued. Turning his back, he added. "Just as soon as I finish dealing with this old buffoon."

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6

Emily stumbled as she was pushed into a room with her school friends.

"Emily! Not so nice to see you!" One of her best friends, Julia, called.

"Hi, Julia." Emily groaned.

"This is Iris and Cilan. They…" Julia began.

"Oh my god! You guys got caught too?" Emily yelped, interrupting her friend.

"At least Misty and Solana are still out there." Cilan pointed out. "We got caught with a pokemon's Sleep Powder attack. What about you and Ash?"

"They threatened to kill someone if we fought back. We don't know who, but Ash's pokemon fought without him giving commands. I think they want him to strengthen some of their pokemon. Anyway, he was taken somewhere else." Emily explained.

"Sarah's been taken somewhere else too. We think she's being used to get Professor Oak to talk." Julia told them.

Emily was silent, praying her other best friend, Sarah, hadn't been killed because Ash's pokemon wouldn't listen. Because she and Ash both knew it had been Professor Oak who the criminals had been forcing to give information in that room, and if Sarah was with Professor Oak…

She shook her head to clear it. No, Sarah was alive. She had to be…

Misty and Solana searched over half of the building without getting caught. They were just reaching the other side of the warehouse when they saw Ash's pokemon being carried into a small room.

A moment later, the sound of a key turning in a lock reached their ears. The criminals left.

As soon as they were out of sight, Misty and Solana rushed in. Cages full of pokemon lined the shelves.

The two girls worked hard to pick all the locks. It took hours, but the pokemon were freed.

"Okay. We're good on pokemon, but what about the people? They've got to be here somewhere." Solana said.

"There's not much left to search. Let's keep going as we have been." Misty suggested.

"Okay. That's the best plan. Since Ash's, Iris's, and Cilan's pokemon are all here, I take it they've all been caught. We're the only rescuers left. We've got to find them." Solana responded. "Let's go."

They searched a few more rooms before they heard a small moaning sound. They hurried into the next room to find Ash lying on the ground.

"Ash!" Misty cried quietly, looking around for security cameras. "Are you okay? You look so pale…"

"He's got a fever." Solana told her, wiping a hand gently across Ash's forehead to check. "How could he have gotten this sick this fast? He was fine a couple of hours ago…"

"Let's not fret on it now. We need to find the others and get him to a hospital." Misty replied.

Solana nodded, captured a Blastoise with her capture styler, and asked it to carry Ash. Then, she signaled to Misty that she was ready.

Right after they got around the corner, they heard voices.

"Hey! The kid's gone!"

"How can we finish him off if he's not here?"

"Spread the word! The kid should be too weak by now to escape the warehouse!"

"Let's hurry!" Misty whispered. Solana nodded again.

The two girls scurried on.

"Hang on! I need to catch my breath!" Misty called after a few minutes of flat out running. She leaned against the wall, triggering a new trap door.

"Misty!" Solana whispered. "You and Blastoise take Ash to the nearest hospital. Take the weaker pokemon to the pokemon center. I can handle things here."

"Are you sure?" Misty asked doubtfully.

"I'm sure that we can't wait any longer to rush Ash to the hospital and he certainly can't get caught again. Blastoise, can you go with Misty and help her get Ash to the hospital?" Solana answered.

"Blastoise!" Blastoise roared.

"Go!" Solana pushed. As soon as Misty, Blastoise, Ash, and the weak pokemon were gone, she ran on, checking every room she passed without calling attention to herself.

Finally, she reached an extremely heavily-guarded door. She hid.

"Guys, can you fight?" She asked the pokemon under her breath. They gave war cries and rushed out to meet the enemy. Solana peeked out. They hadn't even waited for her to say 'go'. They must really want to fight those criminals.

Hearing someone rushing towards her, she quickly dodged an attack from behind. Over the next half hour, she must have evaded at least a hundred blows before the guards were all knocked out, either by the pokemon or each other. She wasn't hurt at all, but some of the pokemon were. She quickly grabbed the keys and unlocked the door.

"We're saved!" A girl named Becca cried. "Oh, thank you, miss! Thank you! We were tired of being locked in here together day and night and…"

"We need to hurry." Solana interrupted.

"Wait! Ash and Professor Oak and Sarah! They're not with us!" Emily told her.

"Ash has already been rescued. Iris, Cilan, you guys take everyone somewhere far away from here. Some place safe. Emily, you come with me and we'll find Sarah and Professor Oak." Solana commanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" The group responded in unison.

"Everyone follow us!" Iris called. The rest of the group and half the pokemon followed suit with Cilan at the back making sure they didn't lose anybody.

Eventually, it was just Emily, Solana, and the remaining pokemon left.

"Shall we carry on?" Emily asked.

"Sure." Solana replied.

"I'll take you to where we were when Ash and I were caught. We were really close to Sarah and Professor Oak then." Emily offered.

"Sure." Solana repeated. "Let's go."

"That's enough for today. Let the girl breath, Justin." The leader said. "Bring these two to their separate cells."

Professor Oak gave a sigh of relief. He'd gotten through the day and Sarah was still alive.

"Sir, there's someone outside who'd like to see you." A servant came in. "She calls herself a pokemon ranger."

The leader went pale. "A pokemon ranger? Are you an idiot? Tie her up! Do something! Don't let her in here!"

"Too late!" Solana yelled.

"Toxicroak! Show that girl who's boss!" The leader screamed, throwing a pokeball.

"A Toxicroak… so that's what happened…" Solana murmured, and then added louder. "Capture on!"

Emily watched, amazed, as Solana befriended the pokemon with a few swift movements.

"Capture complete." Solana said.

"Sarah!" Emily cried, running to her other best friend and ripping her away from the criminal that held her while Solana captured and released any pokemon thrown at her.

"Professor Oak!" Sarah yelled, and Emily followed her to the professor.

"I wish it was as simple as just going home now." Professor Oak muttered.

"Freeze! This is the police!" Officer Jenny's voice came from the doorway. Everyone froze and put their hands in the air, except for Solana; she released the pokemon off her styler and walked over to the police.

"I believe your culprit is over there, Officer." She pointed to the leader. "And while you're at it, release the person you arrested before, please."

"If you weren't a top ranger, I wouldn't stand to be talked to like that." Officer Jenny growled. The other officers grabbed and arrested the leader and his cronies.

"This isn't over." The leader screeched. "I'll be back! And you kids will be the first people I come after!"

Sarah shrank back, but everybody else stood firm, knowing it was just talk.

Ash cracked his eyes open to find Pikachu and many of his other pokemon leaning over him.

"He was lucky. That Toxicroak scratch could have killed him if they'd waited any longer to bring him here. He'll need plenty of rest over the next few months and give him this medicine every night until a doctor says otherwise." A faint voice spoke.

"Okay. Anything else?" A more familiar voice answered.

"We want him to stay here until he's awake. Then, we can help you get him home." The first voice told the second.

"Anything it takes to make my poor little pumpkin better." The second voice replied.

Ash digested their words. He was surely in a hospital, and they were talking about him. They had to be. The first voice was probably a doctor and the second voice sounded like his mother. Wait. Hadn't the police taken his mother? Had they succeeded in their mission and caught the real criminals and freed the kids, Professor Oak, and his mom? He closed his eyes again.

"How's he doing?" A new voice that sounded much like Emily's questioned.

"The doctors say he's close to waking." Delia informed her.

"That's a relief. We've all been worried sick about him." Emily said. "I think he's listening."

"Really?" Delia asked.

"I can sense these kinds of things. Ash?"

Ash opened his eyes completely this time and blinked twice.

"I thought you were paying attention. Listen. I wanted to wait until you woke up so that..." Emily hesitated. "So that I could say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Ash croaked. "You're leaving?"

"Yes. It's time I went home. Everyone else left weeks ago. I was just waiting to make sure you would be okay and I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you." Emily said

Ash was silent. A tear slid down his cheek.

"Don't worry. We'll see each other again, I promise, but, for now, it's time to move on." Emily continued. "I'm sorry it has to be so soon, but I'm sure you've said several emotional goodbyes during your time as a trainer. I don't want this to be emotional, just… just see you again soon…" She got up and left.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I know she was special, but you'll find someone else." Delia stroked her son's hair.

"It wasn't like that… not at all…" Ash closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

"Welcome home, sweetheart. How was your trip?" Mrs. Lula greeted her daughter excitedly.

"Full of adventure, unfortunately, it's the kind that makes a parent worry." Emily grinned.

"Oh? Tell us everything over a nice dinner meal." Mrs. Lula demanded.

"No problemo, Mom." Emily said. "No problemo."


End file.
